Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia Family Tour

Day 1: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

Our local guide Mai welcomes us to Saigon. She and her family were some of the boat people who were once forced from the country. She’s happy to be back and she’ll share her love for Vietnam and her firsthand experiences with us during our time together. Saigon is a cool city – a little old, a lot high-tech, the kind of city that changes every time you turn a corner. To see it the fun (and efficient way) we board the bike-powered rickshaws (known as cyclos) that zip through the streets. It’s how we’ll get to key sites like City Hall, Notre Dame Cathedral and Dong Khoi Street, the city’s premier shopping district for custom-made silk garments, embroidery and more.

We’ll also drop by the former Presidential Palace, where news photos captured the Viet Cong flag unfurled from the balcony on April 30, 1975. Adults will remember the action as it happened; the younger generation will get a clear summary of the story. We’ll have lunch in an awesome French villa. Then, we drive just beyond the city limits to explore the Cu Chi Tunnels, a huge underground complex that served as a refuge for thousands of Viet Cong during the war. Now we can climb down to experience some of the 125 miles of tunnels, staging camps, hospitals and bunkers. Tonight we can unwind after an amazing day over dinner at La Camargue, the city’s finest French restaurant. Throughout Indochina, there’s a great variety of food for every taste. We always go for the finest local specialties, but more familiar preparations are always available, too. Overnight: Saigon (Park Hyatt) Meals: L, D

Day 2: Mekong River Delta

The Park Hyatt is widely regarded as one of the most excellent hotels in the world. You’ll see it in your room…and at the fine breakfast this morning. Eat a Western-style breakfast, or go for the pho – the local soup.

We stock up because we’re off into the classic Southern Vietnam landscape for an active day. You’ll get your first look at the lush countryside, carpeted with bright green rice fields. Even more brightly dressed workers form lines of conical straw hats as they bend to tend their crops. The all-purpose hats protect fair skin from the sun and shed rain too. Fuel yourself with what you’ll soon see is a series of exceptional breakfasts. At Cai Lay, a small town on the banks of the Mekong River, we board a long-tail boat. These traditional craft weave their way through the river traffic – a “rush hour” like none of you have ever seen before!

At Cam Son bridge, we hop off the boat…and on to bikes for a fascinating ride into the heart of the Mekong Delta. The bikes are perfect even if you’re not a regular biker, with cushy saddles and high handlebars. The paths are flat and free of traffic, and multiple guides accompany us so everybody can move at their own pace. (If you prefer, you can hop onto one of the local minicarriages known as “xe loi.”) We see no tourists as we follow narrow country roads that curve over tiny canals and past fruit gardens and sleepy villages. Kids will greet us with a big smile and “xin chao!” And we’re likely to trade nods and smiles with a woman in the traditional ao dai as she pedals (and sings) her way to the local market. Along the way, we’ll visit a fish farm, rice paddies and a tropical orchard. Mr. Hai Cu, the owner, is always good for a friendly chat and a taste of his dragon fruit and jackfruit, fresh from the tree. Back on the river, a sampan ride lands us at a 100-year-old house, where the owner and his wife treat us to lunch.

After a late-day flight to Danang, we settle into the spectacular Furama Resort, right on China Beach. You can all explore the great facilities. One of our favorite things to do is hang out at the beach or pool so you’re at your table for the tropical sunset. Overnight: Danang (Furama Resort) Meals: B, L

Day 3: Hoi An / Danang

After breakfast at the resort overlooking the spectacular negative edge pools and white sands, we follow the beachfront road to Hoi An. Spared by the war, it gives you a glimpse of a Vietnam that exists almost nowhere else. The cobbled streets are completely traffic-free. (When was the last time you saw that?) At the riverfront, there’s a scene of boats brimming with people and wares. With a hand from our guide, you’ll also get a chance to shop the local market for anything from betel nuts to incense. Don’t miss the chance to try the sugar cane juice.

In the afternoon we go deep into rural Danang to get a real feel for the everyday life of a local village. Our guide leads us along footpaths to Hoa Chau, nestled among endless rice fields. This is an authentic working village, not a folkloric exhibit. Depending on the season we may see buffalo pulling plows through fields, women planting rice shoots, or men harvesting the ripened crop. We’ll visit a mill to see how the rice is dried and husked. This unique glimpse into the rural lives of the villagers is a sight that very few visitors ever see, and it will be one of the highlights of our time in Vietnam.

Or any of you who prefer can choose to stay at the resort for the afternoon and take advantage of the beach and its outrageously nice amenities. Overnight: Danang (Furama Resort) Meals: B, L, D

Day 4: Hue / Hanoi

After breakfast at the resort, we journey via the Hai Van tunnels to the former Imperial capital of Hué. One of the country’s foremost cultural and religious centers, the city was first settled in 1687. After the 1968 Tet Offensive, much of the old city fell into decay, but the local government recognized its value, and in 1993 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site.

We love to bring history to life, and a local friend helps us do just that. He’ll show off the Imperial City, an amazing complex of museums, lakes, and lovely gardens. We’ll also visit the Forbidden Purple City, built in the early 1800s for the emperor’s personal use and staffed by eunuchs. Midday, our friend, Phan Thuan An, an historian and vice president of the Hué Monuments Preservation Center, invites us to a traditional lunch and the special opportunity to meet descendants of King Khai Dinh.

An afternoon flight takes us to Hanoi. Vietnam's capital is an old-fashioned city with pavement barbers, hordes of bicycles, giant mansions and narrow alleyways like Fried Fish Street. Our guided visit includes Hoa Lo Prison, the notorious “Hanoi Hilton.” After a busy day, we check in to the Metropole, the city’s most elegant and historic hotel. You’ll want to make time to sip something cool under the thatched roof of the poolside. Then we sit down to a traditional Vietnamese dinner at Wild Rice Restaurant, popular with the locals and in-the-know visitors. Overnight: Hanoi (Metropole Hotel) Meals: B, L, D

Day 5: Hanoi + Countryside

Northern Vietnam is home to the country's most colorful pagodas and temples. We’ll have a chance to roam through Tay Phuong Pagoda, famous for its vast display of finely carved wooden statues of 18 th -century monks. From here, we start a scenic walk among rice fields and through bamboo groves to a local village. We have a standing invitation to the small local school where we’ll meet the students and their teacher, and maybe accept their challenge to a soccer match. It’s another memorable look at a daily life that has hardly changed in centuries and where foreign visitors are rare exceptions.

Following our walk, we continue by minivan to Thay Pagoda. The famed site is known for its carved statues of Buddha in lacquer and gold, and for colorful Buddhist ceremonies.

Back in Hanoi, we’ll stroll in the city’s French Quarter and catch a water puppet performance. The art of water puppetry began a thousand years ago, possibly in the flooded rice fields. Puppeteers today stand in waist-high water and manipulate their charges in such a way that you can’t help but be swept up in the legend being told. Music accompanies the action (be sure to listen for the dan bau, an instrument made from a dried watermelon rind). After some time to relax back at the hotel, get ready for a truly memorable experience. The adults enjoy cocktails and dinner at the Press Club, a true local institution. Our guides will treat younger family members to a special meal of their own. Overnight: Hanoi (Metropole Hotel) Meals: B, L, D

Day 6: Halong Bay

Leaving Hanoi behind, we head for one of our all-time favorite travel experiences – Halong Bay. The bay is considered Vietnam’s eighth wonder of the world and it’s easy to see why. Three thousand spectacular chalk and limestone outcroppings, cliffs, arches, and coves form a dragon’s tail of islands across the bay. Traditional sailing junks and local fishing boats glide by selling their latest catch.

In time for lunch, we board our luxury junk boat. Our cruise on the emerald green waters of the bay offers us the chance to visit and explore many islands and caves. But make no mistake: This isn’t like cruising on a cruise ship! We’ll pause for a visit to a traditional floating village. On deck, everybody can join in a cooking demonstration and discover the secrets of spring rolls. As we sail into a pearl farm cove, you can go kayaking or jump into the warm bay for a swim. Evening activities on the junk range from fishing to board games to spa services. Overnight: Halong Bay (Paradise Luxury Junk Boat) Meals: B, L, D

Day 7: Halong Bay / Laos

Too bad more mornings can’t be as perfect as this one. The water is so still. It’s quiet but for the sea birds and sounds of the fishermen. You’ll all want to pinch yourselves because it’s so hard to believe that you’re lucky enough to be in this amazing setting. We absolutely recommend a quiet breakfast as you watch and listen to the world come to life. You can also hop into a kayak for a mirror-smooth paddle and to explore high-ceiling caverns.

Back ashore, we return to Hanoi for a late afternoon flight to Laos. Our destination is Luang Prabang at the meeting point of the Khan and Mekong Rivers and it was once the capital of the “Land of the Million Elephants.” We’ll settle into our gracious and glamorous colonial-style hotel. Dinner is on your own. Just be sure to join our Laotian guide Toubee to wander through the town’s night market, known especially for fine ethnic handicrafts. Overnight: Luang Prabang (Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel) Meals: B, L

Day 8: Luang Prabang

Early risers will witness a moving ritual as long lines of barefoot monks walk silently along the streets on their morning alms rounds. Because Toubee himself entered the monkhood as a boy, he can arrange for you to be welcomed into the ceremony to offer an allotment of rice to the monks. He’ll also offer special insights on monastery life and the study of Buddhism. Before returning to the hotel for breakfast, we’ll explore the lively morning market, as the locals shop and bargain for the day’s provisions.

Today’s adventure is a visit to a 2,000-acre elephant sanctuary in the beautiful and unspoiled Nam Khan River valley. Lao elephants were traditionally used for logging, but as the forests disappear so have the animals. The project invests in community-based eco-programs and seeks to give elephants a new home in the park. We’ll meet the mahouts that train and care for them. They’ll teach us how to give the elephants commands ourselves, and of course we’ll climb up for truly memorable ride along and right into the river. (Please have your camera ready; anybody astraddle an elephant’s neck in the middle of a river is very photogenic!)

After lunch at the sanctuary, we’ll board a small long-tail boat to float back downriver to Luang Prabang, stopping along for walks and to meet the local Lao people at work in their fields. If you prefer, you can skip the boat ride and head by to the hotel for optional spa treatments. Dinner tonight is on the hotel’s teakwood terrace surrounding the pool. Overnight: Luang Prabang (Maison Souvannaphoum Hotel) Meals: B, L, D

Day 9: Siem Reap - Angkor Thom

For the grand finale of a memorable week, we catch a flight to Siem Reap in Cambodia. First, we’ll check into the Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor – one of Indochina’s finest properties. You’ll also meet our good friend Roath, one of the country’s first and most experienced guides. Or start your explorations of the region’s awesome Angkor temples. Today, we visit Ta Prohm. It dates from 1186, but now its labyrinth of stone hallways is overgrown with tentacled roots of massive banyan trees. Later, we enter the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom, literally “Great city”. Built in the 12th Century, it contains the famous Bayon Temple with more than 200 enormous mysterious faces and the Elephant and Leper King Terraces. On our way back to the hotel, we stop at Angkor Wat for our first view of the famed temple complex at sunset. Overnight: Siem Reap Meals: B, D

Day 10: Siem Reap - Angkor Wat

Sleep in if you like, but it’s well worth rising before the sun for a visit to Angkor Wat at daybreak. After breakfast, we all return for an in-depth walking tour in the largest temple in the world. Angkor Wat took an estimated 30 years to build and was probably a funeral temple. Our knowledgeable guide will help you grasp the enormity of the place. You’ll learn about its history, the meanings of the intricate bas-reliefs, and the archeological and restoration efforts. The kids take the afternoon off to spend it at the hotel’s pool under the supervision of one of our guides. You’re welcome to join them. Or take some time on your own to re-visit favorite spots or to expand your explorations to new areas of the temple. We’ll also take in the sites of Preah Khan (The Sacred Sword), a huge monastic complex.

Late in the afternoon, we part company as we take you to the airport where you catch your flight to Bangkok. Meals: B